I'd rather be having a quiet drink... and can be followed on Twitter @alcothusiast; and friended on Untappd (handle: "neilcake" - all welcome).

Thursday, 31 March 2016

Mi Casca Viejo, su Casca Viejo...

I realised in a
dramatic moment, similar to that in a film thriller where an unexpected plot
twist is revealed to the protagonist, that I had faked my own death, had my
face reconstructed to look like myself, and have been cheating on myself with
my own wife since long before the whole death faking, face reconstructing
incident… and also that I didn’t have any tequila… so I decided to buy some. It
would be useful for the impending poker night, for which I’d been struggling to
decide which spirits would have the honour of accompanying me.

Tequila presents an
ideal solution; it’s the kind of thing you can drink a lot of and, as it’s a
new bottle I wouldn’t be too bothered about making a dent in it.

Bring a Bottle
combined with my short term Amazon Prime account to point me in the direction
of this 100% agave tequila, Casco Viejo, which is sadly only 38% alcohol. I’ve seen it
hailed online as the 3rd best selling tequila brand in the world –
probably due to its apparent good value – 70cl for £19 on this occasion. There
does seem to be a 70% agave version of this one (perhaps an older expression),
but the one I purchased on Amazon definitely appeared to say 100% on the bottle
and, when it arrived, that was still the case.

I always buy 100%
agave these days because, once you’ve tried it, there’s no reason to accept
anything less. There are enough affordable brands available in enough outlets,
so once you’ve learned that there is a distinction, you’ve no excuse.
Nevertheless, tequila is a spirit that I’ve only managed to wade into about
calf high at this point, and it doesn’t matter to me if it’s cheap.

A bit of quality
research into this one (not too much), revealed that, according to Master of
Malt: “it’s definitely suitable for cocktails”.
Well that’s a ringing endorsement if ever I saw one. I wasn’t worried
though; I haven’t found a bad full agave tequila yet. Would this be the first?

Well, I can’t say
I’m too impressed with the presentation; a stubby bottle with a silvery label
and a cheap-ass screw cap. Still, at least that suggests that very few of my
nineteen pounds have been spent on aesthetics.

On first taste it
seemed decent enough, though I have to admit to being a little disappointed,
and convinced that it wouldn’t be troubling el Jimador for top spot in
my tequila league table. Things were different on the second tasting however.
This time I was washing down some fish and chips, as it revealed a grainy but
pleasing texture and a nice dry finish.

A week after the
poker night, I was due to attend another, similar event for which tequila would
be a useful addition. Phil hadn’t gotten any spirits in for the video games
party – an oversight I compared to bringing a bus pass to a gun fight (which
seemed to be quite humourous at the time…) – but Gary had also bought tequila; and
it was only my reigning favourite, el Jimador – whose bottle looks to have
undergone a bit of a refurb since the last time I bought it (last summer). So
I’m pleased to be able to say that I was able to conduct a direct comparison.

Both products come
in at around £20 for 70cl, so they are the epitome of affordable 100% agave
tequilas and as comparable as it is possible for any two products to be. Having
gotten used to the Casco Viejo over the last week or so, I decided to
reacquaint myself with el Jimador first. Yep, that was pretty much how I
remembered it; sharp with a pleasing agave bite. Still definitely worth your 20
notes.

When it came to the
Casco Viejo, I was surprised to discover that I liked it even better. There
isn’t a massive amount of difference, but with the Casco you’re getting a
slightly oilier texture that will make your brain think, “mm, luxurious”. The citrus element is possibly a little more prevalent,
while the agave is more muted and has less sting. Overall the flavour is more
rounded and it actually reminds me of the Chichicapamezcal, but a lot
cheaper. For the timebeing it has convinced me there’ll be no need to be
remortgaging my house to fund further
purchases of expensive, artisanal Mexican spirits. Good tequila can still
be had for a fraction of the price.

Definitions

What happens when you zone out after having had a cheeky lunchtime pint.

Alcothusiast:

Not an alcoholic, someone who appreciates booze.

Anxiety, The:

The uneasy feeling that accompanies any noteworthy hangover.

Booze Buffet Mentality:

The propensity people have to go nuts whenever there's a free bar.

Booze Porn:Photos of alcohol.

Bread Chest:Not booze related, but this term describes the indigestion you get from eating too many bread products too quickly. Just putting it out there...

Crawler's Block:The inability to decide where to go next during a pub crawl - often resulting in crawl stagnation and someone saying, "shall we just have another one here?"

Crawl Stagnation:The result of failing to plan a pub crawl sufficiently - lack of a route, theme or over-familiarity with nearby pubs can all be contributing factors.

Excess Induced Alcohol Aversion:An intolerance for a drink caused (usually) by one occasion of overindulgence.

The Family:My whisky collection.

MOMA:

Moment of Maximum Appreciation. Every bottle has one. It's the time you drink it where you enjoy it most.

Old Man Pub:Traditional British pub, renowned for being quiet, cosy and frequented by old men. Much favoured by people who like a nice chat while they drink.Psychological Drinks Cabinet:Collective term relating to the kinds of alcoholic drinks a person has need for.Road Beers:

Cans of beer that you take with you when you go out, to consume on the way.

The 3 Types of Rum:White, gold and dark. Together they form the base of many a great cocktail.

About Me

Neil Cake is interested in all types of booze, but is by no means an authority or expert. Most of the time he's just trying to be funny, but he is learning, and enjoys sharing his adventures and what he learns on the Drink it How You Like it blog.
Thengyuverrymuuuuuch.